In cooling applications, particularly for cooling electric components such as power electronic components, heat exchangers are commonly employed. The heat exchangers constitute at least a part of a cooling means for removing the heat which is dissipated from the component to be cooled, i. e. a process, in which heat is transferred from a location A (the component to be cooled) to a location B (the destination of the removed heat). In particular, the destination of the removed heat involves a heat discharge to the environment.
Conventional heat exchangers may comprise an evaporator for evaporating a coolant medium (a cooling fluid), a condenser for converting the aggregation state of a vaporized coolant medium back to its liquid form, and a compressor for conveying and compressing the coolant medium. While such a refrigeration system often allows for an effective cooling, it is energivorous.
Other types of conventional heat exchangers may comprise a so-called thermosiphon. A thermosiphon performs heat exchange based on natural circulation without the need of a compressor. Thermosiphons are less energivorous than active refrigeration systems using e. g. a compressor and/or a pump, but they are only capable of cooling in relatively limited environmental conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,862,894 B1 discloses a heat exchanger comprising a refrigeration system and a water-cooled auxiliary condenser device.